Hydraulic drilling machine



D 1950 R. H. GEISLER ETI'AL 2,534,118

HYDRAULIC DRILLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 22, 1946 i 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HHHHHllLLhLLlHII Inventors E AND %/i ezlszer oilw'zw H 37689 By Mw-m WW lim Dec. 12, 1950 R. H. GEISLER ETAL HYDRAULIC DRILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1946 R. H. GEISLER ET'AL HYDRAULIC DRILLING MACHINE Dec. 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 22, 1946 I nveutons ,QaZh G'ez'aZen AW CimrZes H. S/Zeen.

9 By WWW 3m Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ralph ii. Geisiei'and chance i1. skeet,

Midland, Tex.

Application August 2 2, 1946, Serial No; 692,239

2 Claims.

This invention comprises novel and advantageous improvements in a hydraulic drilling machine and more explicitly pertains to a more eifi cienthydraulic operating mechanism for a cable type of well driller. A,

The principal objects of our invention are to construct a Well driller utilizing the known advantages of a hydraulic operating means for re-: ciprocating the drilling cable; wherein the cus tomary shocks, jars and vibration customarily present in a driller are greatly minimized; wherein the extent of wear is largely eliminated; and wherein a smoother and more efficient operation of the drill line is obtained in a portable and compact apparatus.

Additional important objects of our invention reside in providing an apparatus in acco'rdai'n'ze with the preceding objects, wherein the hydraulic operating system is improved by the selective employment of a novel cushioning means: wherein a dashpot cushioning of the hydraulic pistons is efiected; and wherein an eilicieht means is provided for circulating replenishing hydraulic fluid through the system to compensate for leakage and cool the mechanism.

' These, together with various auxiliary objects, to become later apparent as the following description proceeds, are realized by our device, one embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only, in the annexed drawings, where Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of our improved machine;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the driller base;

Figure 3 is 'a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic actuating means;

Figure 4 is a vertical elevation of the mast of the driller;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the mast of the driller, being taken substantially upon the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational detail view of the hydraulic actuating cylinder, showing some of the connect-ions thereto; and,

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts in the various views, It denotes generally a truck, which is provided with a frame l2 upon which is mounted our novel hydraulic drilling machine, indicated at I4. A power source I6, of any desired and convenient type is connected by the customary gearing I8, to reciprocate a power shaft 29. The latter, through a hydraulic mechanism to be later set forth, causes the synchronous reciprocation of a crown block 22, carrying a crown sheave 24, which effects the vertical reciprocation of a drilling cable 26 in a well casing 28 or nel members 35, sup orted by Standards 38 suit ably mounted upon the frame 2. It will be noted from an inspection of Figure 1 that the direction or line of motion of the rod 32 and crown block 22 falls within the angle formed by the depending portions of the drilling cable 26, thereby minimizing the side thrust of the crown block and vibration imparted thereby to the standards 38 and frame l2.

Attention is now directed more especially to Figures 1, 3 and 4 for an understanding of the construction of the hydraulic actuating mechanism, which forms the novel element of our invention. An operating cylinder it is" suitably mounted, preferably in a horizontal position upon the frame 82, while an operated cylinder a2 is secured, preferably in a vertical position upoi'i the standards 38. The two hydraulic cylinders are closed at both ends by cover plates or heads 44. The power shaft 2t is slidable through an end plate 44 and carries an operating piston 45 which-is reciprocab'le in the cylinder defininga working chamber 48 and a rear 'compres sion space 56 with the cylinder heads s t. [in operated piston 52 is reciprocable in the vertical cylinder 42, has an apertured rod 32 attached thereto, and defines with cylinder heads ts, a lower working chamber 5e and an upper, rear compression space 56. A conduit to establishes continuous communication between the working chambers 48 and 5 1, and is of sufficient size to permit ready displacement of the hydraulic fluid between the working chambers. From the foregoing construction it will be seen that upon actuation of motor I6 and reciprocation of piston 36, a column of hydraulic fluid will be reciprocated in chambers 48 and 54 and in conduit 58, causing a vertical reciprocation of piston 52, rod 32', crown block sheave 24 and the drilling cable 26, thereby effecting the drilling operations. At a convenient and suitable point, the line 58 may be provided with a manual control valve 68 for use during repairs or servicing the mechanism.

In order to prevent undesirable dashpot ef fects, the rear compression spaces 50 and 56 are connected by an air line 62 which also enables the outward stroke of one piston to pneumatically assist in the inward stroke of the other piston and also thereby funtion as a buffer or shock absorber for the pistons.

As depicted in Figures 6 and 7, the hydraulic operating conduit or play pipe 58 has a pair oi,

asserts air expansion tanks 64 and 66 connected thereto as by valves 68 and 78 and a common pipe 12. The expansion tanks provide a cushioning means for the hydraulic column, to eliminate jars due to the inertia thereof and are particularly useful when initiating drilling operations. After the drill cable has been payed out as the drilling progresses, the elasticity of the long cable will sufficiently cushion the operation and one or both f the tanks may be cut oh" by means of valves 68 and 78.

In order to drain or replenish the hydraulic fluid, the following mechanism is provided. A fiuid inlet and discharge line 14 leads from the lower surface of working chamber 46 and communicates with a fluid storage tank 16, preferably mounted beneath frame 12, which may be placed under pressure if desired. A manual valve 78 and pipe 88 control the flow of fluid from line '14 to the bottom of the fluid tank 18.

Fluid is supplied under pressure from tank it to line '14 by means of conduit 82 and valve 84. Afluid leakage and return line 86 discharges into storage tank 8 and may be provided with a conventional non-return valve, not shown. The 1.

line 86 communicates with the workin chamber 54 at its extreme upper end by a port 88 located just below and cleared by the lower edge of piston 52 at the upper limit of travel of the latter.

The function of this mechanism is as follows. When initially starting the drill, valve 84 is opened to fill the system with fluid. During operation the valve 84 is preferably opened a small predetermined amount, whereby at the upper end of the operating stroke of piston 52, the port 88 is uncovered and a flow of fluid into the system from pipe E i and outward therefrom by pipe 88 is effected. This flow of course ceases as soon as piston 52 again covers port 88 and hence constitutes an intermittent circulation of fluid, which cools the parts, scavenges the cylinders and generally takes up any slack due to leakage or the like.

In certain instances, the line 86 and port 83 may be omitted and the valve 84 then manipulated to fill the system and compensate for leakage. therein.

We claim as our invention:

1. A hydraulic drilling machine having a frame,

a drilling cable wound on a drum journaled 0n the frame, a pair of opposed vertical complementary standards mounted on said frame, a pair of opposed vertical complementary slideways mounted at the upper end of said standards, a

4 port between said standards, an actuated piston reciprocable within said first cylinder and attached to a piston rod, said crown block being mounted at the upper end of said rod, 2. second cylinder horizontally mounted on said frame, an actuating piston reciprocable within said second cylinder and attached to a power shaft, power means to actuate said power shaft, said pistons dividing said cylinders into compression spaces and working chambers, an air line connecting the compression spaces of said cylinders, a hydraulic column connecting the Working spaces of said cylinders, a fluid storage tank mounted on said frame, a supply line from said tank to the second cylinder and a return line from said first cylinder to the tank.

2. A hydraulic drilling machine having a frame,

a drilling cable wound on a drum journaled on the frame, a pair of opposed complementary standards extending upwardly and inwardly from the frame, a pair of opposed vertical complementary slideways mounted at the upper end of said standards, a reciprocable crown block slidably disposed in said slideways, a sheave journaled in said block and engaging said drill cable intermediate its ends for reciprocatin a drill tool carried by the cable, a first cylinder vertically mounted upon a support between said standards, an actuated piston reciprocable within said first cylinder and attached to a piston rod, said crown block being mounted at the upper end of said rod, a second cylinder horizontally mounted on said frame, an actuating piston reciprocable within said second cylinder and attached to a power shaft, power means to actuate said power shaft, said pistons dividing said cylinders into compression spaces and working chambers, an air line connecting the compression spaces of said cylinders, a hydraulic column connecting the working spaces of said cylinders, a fluid storage tank mounted on said frame, a supply line from said tank to the second cylinder, a return line from said first cylinder to the tank and air expansion tanks associated with the hydraulic line.

RALPH H. GEISLER.

CHARLES H. SKEEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 719,371 Rank Jan. 27, 1903 1,634,087 Sheldon June 28, 1927 1,898,684 Pearsall Feb. 21, 1933 1,973,197 Baker Sept. 11, 1934 2,220,271 Peyton et a1 Nov. 5, 1940 

